Spartanburg County prepares to break ground on the state's first inland port

Published: Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 9:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 9:39 p.m.

Spartanburg County soon will be home to South Carolina's first inland port.

Officials at the South Carolina Ports Authority facility say they're nearly ready to break ground in Greer at the port's site near BMW Manufacturing Inc. and the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.

The project has a $30 million budget and is expected to open in early September, said Allison Skipper, spokeswoman for the S.C. Ports Authority.

The port could be a huge economic boon for the Upstate, giving businesses another option to move their goods to and from the region.

"The I-85 corridor in Spartanburg County is attractive for business," said Carter Smith, executive director of the Spartanburg County Economic Futures Group, the organization tasked with facilitating economic development in the county. "If we demonstrate that we can provide a unique service through the port, then that's just one more bargaining chip we can bring to the table. We are constantly dealing on the global stage. The port will help elevate our position on that stage."

While first conceived during talks between the Norfolk Southern railroad company and BMW, Smith said the inland port is already garnering interest from many companies across the region.

Combined with a simultaneous but unrelated solicitation for development at the airport, within several years the port could provide businesses with rail connections and easy access to both the interstate highway system and air freight terminals.

Following approval of a land-use plan this past year, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is preparing to market its properties near the port with hopes that it attracts developers, said Rosylin Weston, airport spokeswoman.

The airport's new neighbor could be an attractive selling point.

"There's no question that there are any number of potential developers who would find the proximity of the inland port to the airport of benefit to their particular company or business product," Weston said.

Environmentalists also have reason to cheer on the port project. Ships arriving in Charleston will off-load their cargo directly to Norfolk Southern railcars, which will haul the cargo to the inland port in Greer before the freight is unloaded and distributed via truck.

"It's essentially going to be a container yard not dissimilar to what we operate at our coastal facilities," Skipper said.

Moving freight by rail rather than by truck could reduce emissions and alleviate congestion on I-26 by eliminating the need for as many as 50,000 truck trips per year.

With the rising cost of fuel, Skipper said port customers see the value in short-haul rail as a way to efficiently move goods throughout South Carolina and beyond.

Smith said he's heard companies express interest because of the savings they can gain.

"Whether it's a company located here that is bringing in product via the Port of Charleston or a company looking to export, it can save some of the ground transportation costs," he said. "There is a lot of enthusiasm behind it."

Skipper said the ports authority has permits in hand from the state and city of Greer to begin site work, and it is recruiting a contractor to start construction.

The port will be near the southwest corner of J. Verne Smith Parkway and Highway 290, where the ports authority already owns some land.

The airport owns much of the land near the inland port site, and the ports authority and airport officials are finalizing land acquisition deals to provide the necessary square footage for the port's operations, Skipper said.

<p>Spartanburg County soon will be home to South Carolina's first inland port. </p><p>Officials at the South Carolina Ports Authority facility say they're nearly ready to break ground in Greer at the port's site near BMW Manufacturing Inc. and the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. </p><p>The project has a $30 million budget and is expected to open in early September, said Allison Skipper, spokeswoman for the S.C. Ports Authority. </p><p>The port could be a huge economic boon for the Upstate, giving businesses another option to move their goods to and from the region.</p><p>"The I-85 corridor in Spartanburg County is attractive for business," said Carter Smith, executive director of the Spartanburg County Economic Futures Group, the organization tasked with facilitating economic development in the county. "If we demonstrate that we can provide a unique service through the port, then that's just one more bargaining chip we can bring to the table. We are constantly dealing on the global stage. The port will help elevate our position on that stage." </p><p>While first conceived during talks between the Norfolk Southern railroad company and BMW, Smith said the inland port is already garnering interest from many companies across the region.</p><p>Combined with a simultaneous but unrelated solicitation for development at the airport, within several years the port could provide businesses with rail connections and easy access to both the interstate highway system and air freight terminals.</p><p>Following approval of a land-use plan this past year, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is preparing to market its properties near the port with hopes that it attracts developers, said Rosylin Weston, airport spokeswoman. </p><p>The airport's new neighbor could be an attractive selling point. </p><p>"There's no question that there are any number of potential developers who would find the proximity of the inland port to the airport of benefit to their particular company or business product," Weston said. </p><p>Environmentalists also have reason to cheer on the port project. Ships arriving in Charleston will off-load their cargo directly to Norfolk Southern railcars, which will haul the cargo to the inland port in Greer before the freight is unloaded and distributed via truck. </p><p>"It's essentially going to be a container yard not dissimilar to what we operate at our coastal facilities," Skipper said. </p><p>Moving freight by rail rather than by truck could reduce emissions and alleviate congestion on I-26 by eliminating the need for as many as 50,000 truck trips per year. </p><p>With the rising cost of fuel, Skipper said port customers see the value in short-haul rail as a way to efficiently move goods throughout South Carolina and beyond. </p><p>Smith said he's heard companies express interest because of the savings they can gain. </p><p>"Whether it's a company located here that is bringing in product via the Port of Charleston or a company looking to export, it can save some of the ground transportation costs," he said. "There is a lot of enthusiasm behind it."</p><p>Skipper said the ports authority has permits in hand from the state and city of Greer to begin site work, and it is recruiting a contractor to start construction.</p><p>The port will be near the southwest corner of J. Verne Smith Parkway and Highway 290, where the ports authority already owns some land. </p><p>The airport owns much of the land near the inland port site, and the ports authority and airport officials are finalizing land acquisition deals to provide the necessary square footage for the port's operations, Skipper said. </p><p>Trevor Anderson contributed reporting to this story.</p>